Multi function t square

ABSTRACT

A panel handling device, has a wheeled portion, having plural wheels at a bottom section thereof, and having a plurality of teeth along a section thereof, said teeth being at different heights relative to the wheeled portion, and a second handle portion, separable from the first wheeled portion, but selectively attachable there to, said handle portion having a handle at one end, and having a slot at the other end, into which slot a surface of the wheeled portion is received, and having a panel handling tray at said other end, the panel handling tray having a surface for holding a panel, and the second handle portion having a teeth holding portion, which holds a position between said first handle portion and said second handle portion by holding into the teeth.

This application claims priority from Provisional application No.62/509,670, filed May 22, 2017; the entire contents of which areherewith incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

A conventional T square is designed to guide a straight lineperpendicular to an edge of a sheet of material, such as drywall.

However, artisans who use such tools are required to carry a large andbulky device which is only used for limited purposes.

SUMMARY

The present application describes a multi-purpose T square which hasmultiple functions.

An embodiment describes a T square that folds in half and also hascutting wheels in locations that allow it to cut both sidessimultaneously of a sheet of construction material, such as drywall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of the T-square on a large sheet such as a sheet ofdrywall;

FIG. 2 shows the T-square device in a folded configurations;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the part that holds the T-square device inthe folded configuration;

FIGS. 4A and 4B and 4C show the T-square configured in a way to cut asheet of drywall from both sides;

FIG. 5 shows a view of the assembly of the T-square.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A T square device is described which can be used to cut panels ofmaterial, such drywall, vertically and horizontally, and which providestemplate holes for different kinds of cutouts in the panel. The cuttingsystem is optimized so that the drywall can be cut from both sides.

An embodiment, shown in the figures, describes a multipurpose T-squareformed of a number of folding and/or separable parts which enable theT-square to carry out a number of different functions. FIG. 1 shows theT-square 100 with its cross member 110 located on the edge of a panel99, such as a panel of drywall. An elongated part 120 is located at a 90degree angle from the cross member, so that when the cross member 110 isplaced on the edge of the panel, the elongated part is perpendicular tothat edge and thus forms a perfect square of the material.

In this embodiment, the elongated part 120 has a first folding mechanism130 which enables its use in a number of different scenarios asdescribed herein.

The T-square also includes a separable multifunction part 140 whichenables cutting different kinds of holes into different locations in thepanel. The multifunction part 140 can be locked into place with a screwlocking device 145. At that point, the locked in place template 140 canbe used for example to create holes 146 such as for outlet boxes; orround holes 147 for pipe passage or other. The template can be locatedon one side of the panel, and a score or cut made on that one side.Then, the template can be turned around to the other side of the paneland a cut made from that side; so that cutting can be carried out fromboth sides. The template portion 140 can have multiple different boxsizes shown including the box size 146 and the smaller box eyes and anumber of different hole sizes. Once the T square is set, the T squarecan be reversed, and then can be used to cut from both sides.

Also, the cross member can include a level 220 of the elongated portion.

The hinging part 130 enables the elongated part 120 to be folded inhalf, both to make it easier to carry, and also for cutting purposes asdescribed herein. When folded in half, as shown in FIG. 2, the twoopposite distal ends 150, 151 face to one another. Each of those twoends includes oppositely facing rolling cutters 200, 201 which face toone another.

The elongated portion 120 fits into a slot 300 that is located in thecross member 110. See for example FIG. 3 which shows a close-up of thisslot and shows its surfaces that hold the elongated member into place ata 90 degree angle relative to the cross member. The elongated portion120 can be moved to different locations in the slot, to set differentdistances, for example, all of which maintain the 90 degree angle. FIG.1 shows the elongated part being at its maximum extension length, whileFIG. 2 shows the elongated part at less than its maximum length.

When the position is moved, for example, from the position in FIG. 1 tothe position shown in FIG. 2, some part 401 of the elongated portion 401is above the cross member 110 and another part 402 of the elongatedportion is below the cross member 110. This sets the distance 410between the right angle edge 111 of the cross member 110, and thelocation of the cutting head 200 on the elongated portion relative tothat right angle edge. This distance 410 then sets the distance ofcutting.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4B which shows the side view of FIG. 4A fromthe side, the two cutting portions 200, 201 are automatically placed onopposite sides of the panel material 99. This is shown in further detailin FIG. 4C.

When folded, a hold part 210 can be tightened, which holds between thecross member 110, which holds one side 220 of the elongated member, andthe front surface of the hold part 210, which holds the other side 230of the elongated member. The screws on the hold part 210 can betightened to press harder between the two cutters 200, 201 at the end ofthe elongated part to press against, respectively, the two sides of thedryall panel.

The individual parts are shown in FIG. 5. The cross member 110 has theslot 300 which receives the respective side surfaces 600, 601 of theelongated part 120. A plate 610 covers this part and holds it intoplace. There are also two standoffs 611 612 which extend away from themounting surface, forming a surface for acting as the hold part andreceiving the folded part of the elongated part 120 when necessary.

The elongated part 120 can be moved up and down back and forth along thesurface 300 to provide any desired amount of distance between the crossmember (holding on an edge of the drywall panel), and the cutters. Thetop portion 220 is the elongated part receives one side of the part 130and the bottom surface. This is hinged to the bottom part 230, which canhence fold relative to the top part.

In operation, the elongated part can be maintained as one elongatedshape, or can be folded into a U-shape, both for easier carrying, andalso to provide the two cutting surfaces facing one another so that theycan be used to cut both sides of the panel at once. The cross memberholds the elongated part in the surface 300, and allows the elongatedmember to slide up and down in the surface and to be held in place bytightening the plate 610.

The hinge 130 includes a spacing hinge 620 having holes for pins such as621, 622 at both ends thereof. The width of the spacing hinge 620 is setsuch that the distances between the opposite facing cutting headscorresponds to the distance between the two sides of the panel to becut. For example, the distance between the cutting heads might be set as½ inch to cut both sides of a sheet of ⅝ inch drywall. The hinge pin 625is placed between the holes 623 and the holes 621 Similarly, thealternate end includes similar hinge pins, thus enabling the hinging.

FIG. 5 also shows magnets 680 and 681 which can attract one another tohold the device in the folded direction. In addition, when folded andlocated on a sheet, there are levels 685 and 686 which can be used tomaintain or insure the level. There is also a level 690 at the top,which can assist in determining the level and plumb of the assembly.

Similarly, the template member can be slid up and down, and locked atany desired distance. The template member has round and square holeswhich represent sizes of different electrical outlets and plumbingpipes.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above,other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to beencompassed within this specification. The previous description of thedisclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilledin the art to make or use the present invention. Various modificationsto these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied toother embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited tothe embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tool, comprising: an elongated member; a crossmember, having a slot defining surfaces which fit and hold the elongatedmember, where the cross member is constrained at a right angle relativeto the elongated member, but allows the cross member to move todifferent locations on the elongated member while constraining the rightangle relative to the elongated member, and to lock the cross member inplace on the elongated member; said elongated member including a hingingpart, which enables the elongated member to fold, and where oppositedistal ends of the elongated member include cutting portions thereon,which face to one another when the cross member is folded, and where theposition of the cross member on the elongated member sets a distancebetween an edge of a panel and the cutting heads, enabling the cuttingheads to cut the panel at specified location on both opposite sides ofthe panel.
 2. The tool as in claim 1, wherein the hinge member includesa spacing hinge connected at both ends to opposite parts of theelongated member, enabling hinging the elongated member whilemaintaining a distance between the two hinged parts of the elongatedmember.
 3. The tool as in claim 1, further comprising a multi-holetemplate, attachable to anywhere along the elongated portion.
 4. Thetool as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of levels, located onboth the cross member and on the elongated portion.
 5. The tool as inclaim 1, further comprising a folding holding part, which holds the twoparts of the elongated part in pressure relative one to the other, toplace pressure against both of the cutting head.
 6. The tool as in claim1, wherein the cutting arms are rotating cutting wheels, each of whichextend into the panel to cut both sides of the panel at the samelocation.
 7. A method of using a T-square, comprising: first, using theT-square with its elongated part extended to a maximum length relativeto its cross member part, to form an elongated length along the panel,where the panel for the elongated length is perpendicular to an edge ofthe panel, and where the cross member is held to the edge of the panel;second, folding the T-square in half, such that one side of the T-squareis on one side of the panel and the other side of the T-square is on theother side of the panel, and using the T-square for using cuttingsurfaces on the T-square to cut both sides of the panel simultaneously.2. The panel handling device as in claim 1, wherein the plural wheelsare at different heights, thus enabling wheeling the panel handlingdevice over uneven portions.
 3. The panel handling device as in claim 2,wherein a center wheel is lower than the two outer wheels.
 4. The panelhandling device as in claim 1, wherein the teeth holding portionincludes a point which fits between the two teeth, and holds the handleat a specified height relative to the wheeled portion by holding betweenthe two teeth.
 5. The panel handling device as in claim 4, wherein theteeth and the teeth holding portion are shaped to allow the handle to bemoved upward relative to the wheeled portion, but not to allow thehandle to be moved downward relative to the wheeled portion.
 6. Thepanel handling device as in claim 4, further comprising a spring-loadedpart that holds the point between the two teeth, and a pressing device,which is pressed to remove the spring-loaded device from between the twoteeth.
 7. The panel handling device as in claim 6, wherein thespring-loaded part is connected to the handle part.
 8. The panelhandling device as in claim 1, wherein the teeth are located along asurface that is substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of thewheeled portion which holds the wheels.
 9. The panel handling device asin claim 1, wherein the wheels are screwed into a bottom surface of thewheeled portion.
 10. The panel handling device as in claim 1, whereininside sections of both the wheeled portion and the handle portion arehollow forming a hollow cavity in that inside portion.